Chapter One- Chris (Alex as he tells Jim Gallien) hitchhikes and gets a ride from Jim Gallien to the edge of Denali National Park. He is ill prepared for how long he plans on staying. Gallien tries to persuade him not to, or to atleast take his better gear for the trip but he refuses and only takes a pair of rubber boots and a meal from him. With him he carries a small rifle which Gallien tells him won't help him much for the large game he's planning on hunting, and he also carries a 10 pound bag of rice, which for how long he says he's planning on staying baffles Gallien. Gallien then drops him off at the trail Alex tells him to.
Chapter Two- Chris took the Stampede Trail into the wild. There is a bus from leftover from 1963 when a construction company were fixing the trail which was set on fire in 1930. Moose hunters crossed the trail and found the bus, and a boy and a girl at the location. The bus had a terrible stench and as they went closer they found an S.O.S note taped to the open door. Investigating, they found Chris's famished, dead body in a sleeping bag.
Chapter Three- Wayne Westerberg was a man with thick shoulder's and a black goatee, he owns grain elevators and runs a crew that follows the harvest. September 10 was when he first came across the hitchhiker who said his name was Alex McCandless. Something about him made Westerberg want to keep him around, Westerberg stopped to deliver a package to a friend who noticed malnourishment and his wife insisted on cooked Alex a huge meal. Alex stuck with Westerberg for three days, then come back a couple of weeks later to the take the offer of a job in Carthage. Westerberg says that Alex was the hardest worker he had ever seen, and that he was intelligent. Chris found a surrogate family within Westerberg and his empoloyees. When Westerberg got arrested for illegally building and selling satellite-television. Chris no longer had work, so he left town on October 23, but he didn't lose touch with Westerberg. Chris graduated in 1900, he did a lot of traveling through Arizona; he went to the Mexican border.
Chapter Four- Chris abandoned his car on July 6, stating that anyone who could get it out of their could have it. It was found by park rangers in October 1990, who have used the car for drug interdiction ever since. A flash flood where McCandless had set up camp had gotten the engine wet, which made Chris drain the battery and leave the Datsun behind so he wouldn't have to deal with running into the law if he would tell the authorities. He decided to continue on foot and look at this positively. He decided to let go of any unessecary baggage, which led to him burning all of the one hundred twenty-three dollars he had. In October he caught a ride to California. He came across a canoe for sale and decided to buy it and paddle to the Gulf of California. An almost fatal accident in the water causes Alex to ditch the canoe and and go back north. He writes in his journal that he the trip has taken a toll on his body but his spirit is soaring.
Chapter Five- Alex ended up in Bullhead City, Arizona, which he became very fond of. He stopped moving for two months which is probably the longest he's stayed in a place. He even wrote Westerberg that he may settle down and abandon his tramping life, and that he had a steady job at McDonald's where he told them his real name, Chris. He was even comuting to work on a bike and even opened a savings account at a local bank. He began living at an abandoned trailer, and kept it on the downlow to his employees that he was living out of a backpack. He left Bullhead to go visit Jan Burres who talks about his love for Jack London. When he left Burres to go to Salton City he refused money but took Swiss Arms knives and belt knives.
Chapter Six- Ronald Franz wrote a letter to the magazine that issued the story of Chris McCandless. He met Chris when Chris was hitchhiking in mid-January in Salton City. Franz's wife and only son were killed by a drunk driver, so he began adopting children and helping hitchhikers to fill his empty void. He really enjoyed Alex's company and was sad to see him go. Alex thoght his short visit and postcards to his friends such as Burres and Westerberg were painless but keeping them under arms lengths, but to Franz it meant a lot more. Alex turned 24 on February 12, seven days before he called Franz and wished him a happy 81st birthday. Alex began hopping trains and wrote Burres about it on March 5th. Alex asked Franz to pick him up in California before he'd set off for Alaska. After he'd left again to work up in Cartahge for Westerberg, he wrote a letter to Franz in early April. It encouraged Franz to stop living the safe, conversvative life, push away his stubbornes, and have what every man wants but is too scared to have, an adventure. Franz took his words to heart and put his furniture in storage, sold his apartment, and set up camp on the bajada at Alex's old campsite. Franz ran into hitchhikers and began talking about Alex, when one of them told him that Alex was dead and that he read it in Outdoor magazine.
Chapter Seven- Alex went to Carthage for work, and told Westerberg he'd stay till April 15th. He was introduced to Wayne Westerberg's girlfriend, Gail Borah, and became close with her. She says you coudl tell he didn't get along with his family except for his little sister carine. Alex and his father didn't get along ebcause they were both stubborn and Walt (Alex's father) is controlling. Alex also mest Westerberg's mother who wasn't usually fond of the people Wayne had working for him, but ended up hittting it off with Alex.
Chapter Eight- Negative mail about the article of McCandless were sent, most writer being from Alaska. Chris was not the only one who had these ideas, though. So did Gene Rusellini who believed that humans could go back to living off of the land, and tried it for a decade. John Waterman, much like Chris, had a hard homelife and became a climber. He became the third youngest person to stand on the highest landform in the continent. Carl McCunn went to Alaska and planned to stay only till August, but forgot to schedule a plane to pick him up. When a plane passed him in September, he accidently used the wrong signal that told the pilot he wasn't in need of help, Each of them underestimated the wild, but were determined. But, McCandless was different and knew what he was getting himself into.
Chapter Nine- Everett Ruess, much like McCandless, travels from place to place of out a backpack. He endured terrible things such as bee stings and poison ivy but refused to leave the wild. He called himself Nemo, which was found carved with a date in a stone slab. Ruess and McCandless has many similarities with their love for the wild and their lack of personal safety.
Chapter Ten- Alex was found wearing a Santa Barbara towing company sweatshirt, but nothing of which they found him with led to any information. When Gallien saw the article he called the state troopers who were at first skeptical, but Alex's journal confirmed their meeting. When Wayne Westerberg heard, he did as Gallien did and called the state troopers. At first they thought it was another crank call but when Westerberg said he had Alex's Social Security number they took him seriously. They contacted Chris's half brother, Sam, who recognized the hiker as Chris. Sam then was faced with having to tell his parents.
Chapter Eleven- Chris's parents, Walt and Billie, worked constantly when Chris was younger. Him and his sister, Carine, learned to depend on eachother. Often times, Chris usually kept to himself. He easily brought home A's in every class.Chris was very good at almost everything he tried, but wouldn't let anyone help perfect his skill. Chris and his grandfather, his mom's dad, got along very well. He was much like Chris and liked the outdoors, and cried every time he had to result to killing an animal. His parent's got Carine a puppy for her birthday one year whom she named Buckley. Buckley became more of Chris's dog over the years, being he spent most of his time taking him on his cross country adventures and caring for him.
Chapter Two- Chris took the Stampede Trail into the wild. There is a bus from leftover from 1963 when a construction company were fixing the trail which was set on fire in 1930. Moose hunters crossed the trail and found the bus, and a boy and a girl at the location. The bus had a terrible stench and as they went closer they found an S.O.S note taped to the open door. Investigating, they found Chris's famished, dead body in a sleeping bag.
Chapter Three- Wayne Westerberg was a man with thick shoulder's and a black goatee, he owns grain elevators and runs a crew that follows the harvest. September 10 was when he first came across the hitchhiker who said his name was Alex McCandless. Something about him made Westerberg want to keep him around, Westerberg stopped to deliver a package to a friend who noticed malnourishment and his wife insisted on cooked Alex a huge meal. Alex stuck with Westerberg for three days, then come back a couple of weeks later to the take the offer of a job in Carthage. Westerberg says that Alex was the hardest worker he had ever seen, and that he was intelligent. Chris found a surrogate family within Westerberg and his empoloyees. When Westerberg got arrested for illegally building and selling satellite-television. Chris no longer had work, so he left town on October 23, but he didn't lose touch with Westerberg. Chris graduated in 1900, he did a lot of traveling through Arizona; he went to the Mexican border.
Chapter Four- Chris abandoned his car on July 6, stating that anyone who could get it out of their could have it. It was found by park rangers in October 1990, who have used the car for drug interdiction ever since. A flash flood where McCandless had set up camp had gotten the engine wet, which made Chris drain the battery and leave the Datsun behind so he wouldn't have to deal with running into the law if he would tell the authorities. He decided to continue on foot and look at this positively. He decided to let go of any unessecary baggage, which led to him burning all of the one hundred twenty-three dollars he had. In October he caught a ride to California. He came across a canoe for sale and decided to buy it and paddle to the Gulf of California. An almost fatal accident in the water causes Alex to ditch the canoe and and go back north. He writes in his journal that he the trip has taken a toll on his body but his spirit is soaring.
Chapter Five- Alex ended up in Bullhead City, Arizona, which he became very fond of. He stopped moving for two months which is probably the longest he's stayed in a place. He even wrote Westerberg that he may settle down and abandon his tramping life, and that he had a steady job at McDonald's where he told them his real name, Chris. He was even comuting to work on a bike and even opened a savings account at a local bank. He began living at an abandoned trailer, and kept it on the downlow to his employees that he was living out of a backpack. He left Bullhead to go visit Jan Burres who talks about his love for Jack London. When he left Burres to go to Salton City he refused money but took Swiss Arms knives and belt knives.
Chapter Six- Ronald Franz wrote a letter to the magazine that issued the story of Chris McCandless. He met Chris when Chris was hitchhiking in mid-January in Salton City. Franz's wife and only son were killed by a drunk driver, so he began adopting children and helping hitchhikers to fill his empty void. He really enjoyed Alex's company and was sad to see him go. Alex thoght his short visit and postcards to his friends such as Burres and Westerberg were painless but keeping them under arms lengths, but to Franz it meant a lot more. Alex turned 24 on February 12, seven days before he called Franz and wished him a happy 81st birthday. Alex began hopping trains and wrote Burres about it on March 5th. Alex asked Franz to pick him up in California before he'd set off for Alaska. After he'd left again to work up in Cartahge for Westerberg, he wrote a letter to Franz in early April. It encouraged Franz to stop living the safe, conversvative life, push away his stubbornes, and have what every man wants but is too scared to have, an adventure. Franz took his words to heart and put his furniture in storage, sold his apartment, and set up camp on the bajada at Alex's old campsite. Franz ran into hitchhikers and began talking about Alex, when one of them told him that Alex was dead and that he read it in Outdoor magazine.
Chapter Seven- Alex went to Carthage for work, and told Westerberg he'd stay till April 15th. He was introduced to Wayne Westerberg's girlfriend, Gail Borah, and became close with her. She says you coudl tell he didn't get along with his family except for his little sister carine. Alex and his father didn't get along ebcause they were both stubborn and Walt (Alex's father) is controlling. Alex also mest Westerberg's mother who wasn't usually fond of the people Wayne had working for him, but ended up hittting it off with Alex.
Chapter Eight- Negative mail about the article of McCandless were sent, most writer being from Alaska. Chris was not the only one who had these ideas, though. So did Gene Rusellini who believed that humans could go back to living off of the land, and tried it for a decade. John Waterman, much like Chris, had a hard homelife and became a climber. He became the third youngest person to stand on the highest landform in the continent. Carl McCunn went to Alaska and planned to stay only till August, but forgot to schedule a plane to pick him up. When a plane passed him in September, he accidently used the wrong signal that told the pilot he wasn't in need of help, Each of them underestimated the wild, but were determined. But, McCandless was different and knew what he was getting himself into.
Chapter Nine- Everett Ruess, much like McCandless, travels from place to place of out a backpack. He endured terrible things such as bee stings and poison ivy but refused to leave the wild. He called himself Nemo, which was found carved with a date in a stone slab. Ruess and McCandless has many similarities with their love for the wild and their lack of personal safety.
Chapter Ten- Alex was found wearing a Santa Barbara towing company sweatshirt, but nothing of which they found him with led to any information. When Gallien saw the article he called the state troopers who were at first skeptical, but Alex's journal confirmed their meeting. When Wayne Westerberg heard, he did as Gallien did and called the state troopers. At first they thought it was another crank call but when Westerberg said he had Alex's Social Security number they took him seriously. They contacted Chris's half brother, Sam, who recognized the hiker as Chris. Sam then was faced with having to tell his parents.
Chapter Eleven- Chris's parents, Walt and Billie, worked constantly when Chris was younger. Him and his sister, Carine, learned to depend on eachother. Often times, Chris usually kept to himself. He easily brought home A's in every class.Chris was very good at almost everything he tried, but wouldn't let anyone help perfect his skill. Chris and his grandfather, his mom's dad, got along very well. He was much like Chris and liked the outdoors, and cried every time he had to result to killing an animal. His parent's got Carine a puppy for her birthday one year whom she named Buckley. Buckley became more of Chris's dog over the years, being he spent most of his time taking him on his cross country adventures and caring for him.
Chapter Twelve-